Piracy less serious than shoplifting

A study has found that many surfers in the UK think that illegally downloading copyrighted files from the internet is less serious than shoplifting.

The report, from market research firm TNS, found that 38 per cent of respondents thought piracy to be less serious than stealing from a store.

It comes on the back of news that the French government planned to crack down on serial internet pirates by terminating their internet access.

TNS said Brits didn't like the idea of being watched while online, though many understood the impact that piracy is having on the music and film industries.

"On one hand we understand that the media business is suffering as a result of those people who abuse the internet, but on the other, we feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea that someone could be ‘monitoring’ exactly what we do online," said Amy Cashman of TNS UK.

However, TMS said that the French approach could be a little heavy-handed.

"There is also the question of whether the punishment fits the crime, and is downloading a few music files for free deserving of a complete online ban? I think a lot of countries and industry leaders will be looking to France, to see how a policy of this kind will shape the internet of the future," Cashman said.

www.tnsglobal.com

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